


I'm With You

by heihua



Series: Wants and Needs [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gen, Light Angst, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 04:34:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8190253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heihua/pseuds/heihua
Summary: Ignis measures Noctis’ well-being in cups of coffee.





	

Ignis measures Noctis’ well-being in cups of coffee.

On good days, he’s down to two cups. On bad days—based off the amount of mugs Ignis counts in the sink—he drinks at least a cup an hour.

Most days, there’s at least four mugs in the sink when Ignis visits; those are the normal days.

Ignis wonders about the caffeine dependence, lectures Noctis on the dangers of chronic caffeine intake while he’s still growing but Noctis listens with half-an-ear like he always does and the mugs continue to appear in the sink.

Then, Noctis makes friends with Prompto.

Ignis remembers this event with extreme clarity because during this week, the number of cups of coffee Noctis drinks go down to one a day.

After that, Ignis makes an effort to visit Noctis every day and for longer hours. He fights for every free hour he can get, trading sleep for talks over dinner with Noctis and trying desperately to make up for the years lost between them.

 

 

 

He continues to count the cups of coffee.

 

 

 

A year later, Noctis asks him to read a story.

“What for?” goes Ignis.

Noctis shrugs, appearing indifferent, casual. “Been having trouble sleeping and wondered if you could help. You always put me to sleep when you read to me as a kid.”

Ignis ponders the strangeness of the request for the briefest of seconds. He observes Noctis—slouched on the couch, dressed in sweats and wet hair pressed flat against his head from his shower and notices.

He notices the way Noctis doesn’t look him in the eye as he talks, the way he twines his fingers together in his lap like he doesn’t know what to do with them.

Ignis should press, should reject Noctis’ request and probe for answers instead but he remembers how, three days ago, he had arrived at Noctis’ apartment and found no coffee mugs in the sink. He remembers the Noctis of three days ago, whose eyes were red but who smiled all throughout dinner and—in a strangely shy voice—asked Ignis if he remembered the stories they would read together.

Ignis thinks he understands now, even if it’s just a little.

He walks over to his briefcase, placed at the entrance of the kitchen, and pulls out a thin black novel.

“I don’t have any of the old epics on hand, unfortunately,” Ignis tells Noctis, walking over to the couch. “But if you don’t mind detective stories, I could read that.”

He sits himself on the couch, near enough for Noctis to see the title of the novel printed on the front.

He cracks the book open, glancing over at Noctis. “The font is quite small. You should come closer if you want to be able to read along.”

Noctis does not smile, but there is a loosening of body then and he moves forward—clumsy, eager and just a little apprehensive—so he’s leaning against Ignis, arm pressed against arm and his cheek pressed against Ignis’ shoulder.

“Can you see?” Ignis asks.

“Yea,” Noctis answers, even as he tilts his head downwards, his eyes already slipping close.

Ignis pretends not to see this and begins reading the prologue.

Eight pages in, he feels Noctis lightly snore but Ignis continues to read out loud—all the way to chapter three.

 

 

 

The next day, there are no cups in the sink and Ignis starts from where he left off in the novel.

Noctis is asleep by the time Ignis has gone through four pages but Ignis keeps reading until his eyes ache and his side grows numb from where Noctis presses against him, a heavy warm weight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ignis stops counting the mugs in the sink.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally going to be something in Defined Loneliness but I couldn't find a way to make it fit so now it's a separate piece but now the idea of touch-starved Noctis is taking over my brain and it won't leave me alone PLEASE LET ME REST ALREADY


End file.
